Easy sleeping: The bed-in-a-box boom

We spend roughly a third of our lives in bed, but there are a growing number of direct-to-consumer options aiming to make it easier to upgrade your bedroom.

Friday, March 16th 2018, 11:33 AM EDT

Updated:

Friday, March 16th 2018, 12:15 PM EDT

Credit: NBC

(NBC News) We spend roughly a third of our lives in bed, but there are a growing number of direct-to-consumer options aiming to make it easier to upgrade your bedroom.

The frustration of shopping for a mattress in retail stores has led to the rise of online mattress companies including Casper, Purple and Leesa that ship compressed foam mattresses straight to your doorstep.

"People just don't like to shop for mattresses in a store," says Lexie Sachs, a Senior Textiles Product Analyst at the Good Housekeeping Institute. "It's really awkward to be go into a store with a salesperson watching over you, being overwhelmed with all the options... and lying down on a mattress for 10 minutes isn't really a good way to tell if it's going to be a good fit for you."

Casper was one of the first companies to see success selling mattresses online. Now, there are almost 200 "bed-in-a-box" options available. Most brands offer free shipping and returns, as well as a generous trial period of 100 days or more, to make the process as painless as possible. Many also offer white glove delivery and disposal of your old mattress.

Online mattress companies tout a quality product at a fair price for a better night's sleep. All hefty promises, but reviewers say many brands are living up to the hype.

"These beds in a box really aren't a gimmick," says Sarah Morrow, Deputy Content Editor for Consumer Reports. "We've seen many of these beds in a box come through our lab here that score very good to excellent across the board for a variety of sleep styles and sizes."

Consumer Reports tested the mattresses for durability, firmness, pressure and support. Essentia, Sleep on latex and Casper received top marks. The Tuft & Needle mattress and the Serta 12" Gel Memory Foam received a budget recommendation, with good scores and a price point under $600.

If the thought of blindly buying a mattress online seems scary, some brands are partnering with retailers so you can try before you buy. Leesa mattresses are on display in West Elm Stores. Casper and Target have partnered up, with Casper-branded bedding available for purchase and a twin on display in some Target stores. Tulo soft, medium and firm models are on display in Mattress Firm stores. Those can be purchased in-store, but will still be ordered and shipped in a box for the same price as online.

Some mattresses also offer special features that set them apart from the crowd. If you want more time to try out your new mattress, Nectar offers a full year trial period. If you're unsure of the firmness you prefer, Layla is a great option. Good Housekeeping listed the two-sided Layla mattress, which is soft on one side and firm on the other, in its review highlights. The Layla also has a built-in copper material with a cooling benefit to help sleepers avoid the overheating typically associated with memory foam mattresses. The Eight Sleep Jupiter+ can make your bed smarter. It's a gel foam mattress with a high-tech cover that can warm automatically, track sleep and even wake you up in the morning.

"It won't eject you from the bed!," assures Sachs. "But it will give gentle vibrations to help wake you up. It also times the alarm to when you are in the lightest phase of sleep, in set parameters around your wake-up time."

Experts suggest reviewing ratings before making a purchase, and to keep your size and sleeping style (back or side) in mind. The bad frame is another consideration, as the foam material can sink between slats in certain types of frames.

"Each manufacturer recommends different things as far as what goes under the bed, whether it's a special platform or standard box spring, so we really encourage that people look at those manufacturer instructions and follow that advice," says Morrow.

If you decide you want to return the mattress, there is no need to try to squeeze the bed back into the box it came in. A special machine compresses and rolls the foam for initial shipment, so once it is opened, "the genie is out of the bottle", as the saying goes. Generally, the brand will pick up the mattress or arrange to have it donated it to charity. While most brands have a return period of 100-120 days, be sure review all of the fine print around the return process and any fees for removal.

"You should really sleep on it for at least a month to get an idea if it's a good fit for you," suggests Sachs.

Luckily, the generous trial periods offer plenty of time to see if a "bed in a box" is the mattress of your dreams.